Abbas advisor: Israeli Muezzin law regulating noise will lead to “ruinous religious war”

WAFA, official PA news agency
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Feb. 12, 2017

Headline: “Al-Habbash: Israel is dragging the region into a religious war with the law banning the call of the Muezzin”
“Supreme Shari’ah Judge of Palestine and [PA] President [Mahmoud Abbas’] advisor on Religious and Islamic Affairs Mahmoud Al-Habbash condemned the Israeli decision to approve what is called the Muezzin Law, which prevents the freedom of sounding the call of the Muezzin (i.e., the person who sings the Muslim call to prayer) with loudspeakers at mosques (sic., the law does not refer to any specific religion), and particularly in the dawn prayer. He said that these policies are liable to drag the region into a ruinous religious war that will not stop at the borders of Palestine, but rather could even spread to the region and the world.”

On Feb. 12, 2017, a bill to ban religious institutions from broadcasting over loudspeakers between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. was authorized by the Israeli Ministerial Committee for Legislation and is now pending parliamentary approval. The bill is intended to prevent noise pollution and is referred to by many as the "Muezzin Law," although it does not apply to any specific religion. Other countries have already approved or attempted legislation for regulating the use of loudspeakers in mosques in order to limit noise pollution. These include India, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Turkey, Bahrain, the United Emirates, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, France, the UK, Austria, Norway, and Belgium, and the US. The PA has also passed legislation regarding the use of loudspeakers in mosques in order to reduce noise pollution.